Pence backs ban on private-funded trips

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, endorsed a temporary moratorium on privately funded travel during a closed-door meeting of House Republicans yesterday.

The Pence endorsement is the first significant sign of support from conference conservatives for a temporary travel ban.

"Millions of Americans are troubled by recent revelations concerning privately funded travel, and Congress should ban privately funded travel until a system of prior approval can be established within the House ethics committee," he said in a statement on the House floor yesterday.

Republican leaders in the House have been discussing the moratorium, which has the backing of Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), as a way to give the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct more time to draft a pre-approval process for these trips.